Nobody Told Me May in Europe Was Basically a Month-Long Holiday — Here's What That Actually Means for Your Move
I'm going to be real with you.
When I was still in California, deep in the research rabbit hole of "how do I actually move to Europe," I read a lot of articles about work-life balance. I knew the talking points. Europeans get more vacation time. Fewer hours. Better benefits. I thought I understood it.
Then I moved to the Netherlands.
And then May hit.
Wait — What Do You Mean "May Barely Exists"?
A few days ago, an American living in Paris posted something on LinkedIn that made my jaw drop — not because it was shocking, but because it perfectly described something I had just lived through and didn't quite have the words for yet.
His name is Justyn Lee, and he explained what the French call "le pont" — "the bridge." Here's the short version: France has four official public holidays in May alone. Labour Day, Victory in Europe Day, Ascension Thursday, and Whit Monday. That's already a lot. But the kicker? When a holiday falls mid-week, companies don't just take that one day off. They bridge the gap. The days in between a holiday and a weekend? Gone. Four-day weekends become the norm. And the cultural understanding is: "Let's circle back in June."
As Lee put it: "May is not a month."
Here's the thing — this isn't just a France thing. The concept exists across Europe under different names. Germany calls them Brückentage (bridge days). Spain says hacer puente. It's a cultural agreement, not a law. And whether you're landing in Amsterdam, Berlin, Lisbon, or Barcelona — it's completely real.
I'm Living It in the Netherlands. Here's What It Actually Feels Like.
Here in Utrecht, I felt this shift in real time. Things slow down. Not because people are lazy — but because the cultural operating system is just different. There's an unspoken agreement that non-urgent things can wait. That rest is legitimate. That life happens between the meetings, not despite them.
This was a massive adjustment coming from American hustle culture. In my 16+ years of B2B sales, "May" meant Q2 push. It meant pipeline reviews and follow-up sequences and making your numbers. Not here. Here, May means your colleagues are gone for a long weekend, the office is quiet, and nobody's apologizing for it.
That's not a bug. That's the feature.
Why This Matters If You're Planning a Move to Europe
If you're an American seriously considering relocating to Europe — this is the kind of thing nobody puts in the immigration checklist. But it should be.
Here's what changes when you land inside a bridge-holiday culture:
Your job search timeline shifts. Hiring slows across Europe in May, slows again in July and August, and basically disappears in December. Whether you're targeting companies in the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, or Spain — build this into your timeline. Don't panic when responses drop off. It's seasonal, not personal.
Your income projections need a reality check. If you're freelancing, consulting, or building a business here, your Q2 pipeline will look different than it did in the States. Budget for slower months. They're not failure — they're the calendar.
Your mental health will thank you. There's something that happens when the culture around you also values rest. You stop feeling like you're falling behind every time you take a breath. Recovery taught me that rest isn't weakness. Europe is teaching me the same thing on a societal level.
Your travel game gets a serious upgrade. Bridge holidays are a built-in reminder to move. A four-day weekend in May? That's a budget flight from Amsterdam to Lisbon, a train from Utrecht to Paris, a weekend in Copenhagen. This is the life you said you wanted. It's actually available to you here.
The Bigger Picture: This Is the Life You Said You Wanted
Most of the Americans I talk to who are thinking about relocating to Europe aren't just chasing cheaper rent or a different passport stamp. They're chasing something harder to name. More space. Less grind. A life that doesn't feel like it's constantly running out of time.
The bridge holiday concept is a perfect example of what that actually looks like in practice. It's not a fantasy. It's a shared cultural norm across an entire continent that says: life is more important than your inbox.
That's the social contract Lee is describing. And it's real. I'm in it.
But Here's What Nobody Tells You About the Transition
Understanding the vibe is one thing. Actually building your life in Europe — legally, financially, professionally — is a completely different project.
The pathway looks different depending on where you're headed and what you do for work. For self-employed Americans, the DAFT visa is one of the most legitimate and accessible routes into the Netherlands specifically. But whatever your destination, the strategy matters: knowing which visa fits your situation, how to position yourself for the European job market, and how to navigate the practical infrastructure of starting over in a new country.
That's exactly what I help people do.
Whether you're still stateside doing research or you've already booked a one-way ticket, there's a version of this support that fits where you are:
The Compass Call (€97) — 60 minutes to cut through the noise. Your visa, your budget, your city, your life. No generic advice. Just honest answers from someone who navigated this exact process. This is where everyone starts.
European Union Career Launch Package (€350) — Your American resume is getting you ignored. This is the full rewrite: European-standard CV, LinkedIn optimized for European recruiters, job board strategy, and a recruiter outreach plan. Built for Americans. Built for Europe. Built to get you hired.
Career Relocation Package (€2,500) — The complete package for the serious mover. Career clarity call, CV and resume rewrite, LinkedIn overhaul, personalized European sector and salary report, job search strategy, and 30 days of email support. Built for your industry, your timeline, your move.
I don't place you in a job. I build you the map, so you land your dream role in Europe.
The Bottom Line
Europe isn't going to wait for you to figure it all out before you get here. The bridge holidays will come and go. The slow Mays will happen whether you're ready or not.
The question is: do you want to still be researching from a couch in the States, or do you want to be somewhere in Europe wondering why you didn't make the move sooner?
I left California. I'm in Utrecht. And I can show you exactly how to get here.
See How I Can Help You Get Here →
Jen Huss is the founder of Recovery to Travel, a relocation consulting brand helping Americans navigate the move to Europe — with the Netherlands as home base. Based in Utrecht. Recovering out loud. Building a life worth crossing an ocean for.
Follow along: @recovery.totravel on Instagram | @recovery2travel on TikTok
